ISC-Dubai hosts the 9thth SABIS® Regional Sports Tournament

Over 1000 participants representing 23 schools from 12 countries

The SABIS® International Schools of Dubai and Sharjah were proud to host the 9th Regional Sports Tournament on Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st March 2013. The event attracted over 1000 participants from 23 SABIS® schools in 12 countries around the world.

The two host schools are members of the SABIS®/Choueifat Global School Network that started with humble beginnings in 1886 and currently educates more than 60,000 students in both the private and public sectors, operating in 15 countries and spread over four continents.

The tournament’s opening ceremony was a grand occasion where over 1000 SABIS® students from Germany, Romania, Qatar, UAE, Oman, Egypt, Bahrain, Lebanon, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Kurdistan Iraq and Jordan marched onto the field to the Music of the Military Platoon of the UAE Armed Forces. The ceremony started with warm welcome from Mr. Hisham Hassan, Choueifat Dubai School Director, in the presence of His Highness Sheik Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Sport Council represented by Mr. Ali Al Mutawa, Mr. Victor Saad, SABIS® Vice President, distinguished guests and SABIS® school directors from the region. Next, Mr. Ali Al Mutawa welcomed all delegates to the UAE and expressed the happiness of Dubai Sport Council to The International Schools of Choueifat/SABIS® for hosting this spectacular sporting event in Dubai and for adding value to Dubai’s sporting initiatives.

Mr. Victor Saad, SABIS® Vice President, commenced his speech by welcoming His Highness Sheik Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, an alumnus of ISC Dubai, highlighting the importance of His Highness’s presence as a significant reflection of the commitment that Dubai places on the role of sports in the development of our youth beyond academia. He added that the tournament is a testimony to SABIS®’s commitment to develop student abilities in art, music, and sports ….Mr. Saad emphasized that SABIS® has uniquely positioned itself in the world of education as a global educational operator through its innovative and dynamic educational system and continues to offer increasingly high academic standards at a reasonable cost. Next, Mr. Saad encouraged the athletes with an address from the heart stressing that through their participation, they will build confidence, resilience, teamwork and many other soft skills that will enable them to thrive not just in an educational environment but well beyond when they go on to working life. He added that “good sportsmanship means winning without gloating, losing without complaining and, most importantly, having respect for our team-mates, our opponents, and the officials….”

The speeches were followed by a selection of performances by students from SABIS® schools in the UAE. The presentations varied from the UAE traditional dance to traditional Lebanese folkloric dabke, Korean dance and a gymnastic display that celebrated the uniqueness of the UAE heritage and the diversity of the different cultures in our schools.

As balloons soared into the sky, Mr. Saad presented His Highness Sheik Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum with a plaque as a token of appreciation for his inauguration of the grand opening ceremony. His Highness then signed the championship ball, which was later used by Michel Salgado, former captain of the Spanish soccer team and Real Madrid player, to-start the tournament by passing the ball at the start of the first game.

Participating students enthusiastically competed in swimming, basketball, soccer, sprint, relay, and long jump with the highest athletic standards being set by all competitors and with an overwhelming spirit of true sportsmanship. The two-day sporting event attracted many local and international spectators who enjoyed the well-organized event, the entertaining atmosphere, and lavish festivities.

The tournament concluded on Sunday, March 31st with a closing address where Mr. Saad congratulated not only those who won the medals and trophies but also all the participants, their coaches and referees for the “team spirit, sportsmanship and mutual respect that dominated the games during the last two days”. He also extended his sincere thanks and appreciation to all the organizers of this event without which SABIS® students would not have had “the opportunity to learn, do their best and shine in their chosen sport”. Mr. Saad pleasantly surprised the crowd by announcing the destination of the next host for the RT 2015 adding that on the occasion of its 10th anniversary, the 2015 SABIS® Regional Tournament will be hosted in Lebanon.

Medals and trophies were then awarded to the winning teams amidst the cheering and clapping of the crowd. All SABIS® schools had their share of winning in football, basketball, sprint, long jump and swimming with ISC Cairo taking home a total of seventeen medals, ISC Amman and ISF Germany a total of 12 medals each, Choueifat Lebanon a total of 6 medals and Al Ain and Doha a total of five medals each. Twenty seven more medals were shared amongst the remaining schools.

ISC Erbil (Kurdistan Iraq) put up an excellent performance winning the first place in under 10 football against Cairo and under 14 football against Dubai. ISC Cairo girls won the Basket Ball final match against ISC Choueifat, making them first place . The final event in the tournament was a spectacular match in under 18 boys basketball between two strong competitors, with Choueifat Lebanon scoring first and ISC Dubai second.

The event concluded with the traditional group photo and the cutting of the cake symbolizing the end of the regional tournament.

Students returned home with many great memories, looking forward to the 10th tournament. This has been another success of the SABIS® School Network and a great organizing effort by the Regional Tournament Committee and the International Schools of Choueifat Dubai and Sharjah.